Nomads of the Seas, Pt 2

OK, in the opening part of our Photo Essay on the unique Nomads of the Seas operation in Chilean Patagonia, we looked at their special ship, the MV Atmosphere, and her amazing array of equipment for their signature up-close-and-personal tours of the region.

This time I'd like to highlight the region, as it is also one of the world's truly unique environments and an amazing realm of stunning scenery and enchanting wildlife.

From Nomads' point of view, Patagonia starts as soon as you sail south from their port of Puerto Montt, the biggest city in the Lake District region of the country. Surrounded by mountains and volcanoes (some of them still active), the backdrop is never less than breathtaking, but it also changes with astonishing regularity, even from minute to minute as the light changes.

The journey continues out of the Reloncavi Sound into the Gulf of Ancud, passing by the huge island of Chiloe on the starboard side. Watch out for dolphins (including one species found only in Chilean waters), sea-lions, penguins, sea-otters, blue whales (in season - late summer, around February in the southern hemisphere) and a multitude of seabirds, including cormorants, comical steamer ducks and albatross.

Most of the hinterland is thickly forested, which makes for a fascinating combination with the rugged mountains. The many islands and rocky outcrops are home to sea-lions, penguins and kelp geese, as well as some vibrant and verdant plant life, which in turn attracts many tiny hummingbirds. Several types of dolphin often frolic alongside the ship (and even more so when you go out for excursions in the RIB inflatable boat) and even when the weather turns grey and rainy (which it is sure to do at some stage in these regions), there is always something to admire in the passing vistas.

With luck (and the right weather!), you will see imposing volcano of Corcovado and the currently active Chaiten, still spewing out clouds of smoke and ash two years after its most recent eruption.

Ultimately, this is an extraordinarily desolate and even forbidding part of the world. But the sheer fact that so few people live here - and even fewer visit - makes this one of the great cruise adventures you can take. And, when you take one of Nomads' helicopter tours to go hiking, kayaking, fishing or merely sight-seeing over this impossibly rugged countryside, it is utterly absorbing and totally unforgettable.

Time Spent at Sea has moved and can now be found at World of Cruising. You can follow World of Cruising on Twitter and Facebook for the very latest in cruise news.

If you haven't already, subscribe to the World of Cruising magazine today.